Nightfall:At the Walls of Draynor's Manor
August 3rd 5:30 PM Cold Springs, St. Beatrix d'Este PM Omniance: After a short morning mass, Lucas continued to sit in church, silently thinking, praying, for nearly eight hours, not having moved from his seat, or even looked up at anyone else that has come and gone, including the priest. Lucas: The hours have passed with a flux of his feelings, a cycle of anger, grief, and desperation as he thought and prayed silently, though the last two has been almost nothing but quiet apathy. An empty minded staring at his shoes, and the old wooden floor of the church. As the time seems to linger forwards he suddenly looks up to the large crucifix above the church's altar, almost like he's been broken from a sleeping stupor. He stretches slightly and looks around at the empty church, seeming to finally realize how long he's been sitting here, as the light coming in through the windows is much dimmer than it was when he arrived this morning. PM | Edited 6:17:26 PM Arbi: As Lucas stretches his body, something he's needed to do for awhile from all the sitting he's done at church, he nearly falls to his side as his head gets light headed without warning. The dizziness leaves him just as fast as it happened but something else comes with it, his body feels tired again. Despite having healed all his wounds from using deep sleep several times before and having sat all day on a bench, his body feels drained. PM Omniance: Lucas: He puts his hand to his forehead and closes his eyes as he leans forward and rests his arm on the bench in front of him. He takes a slow breath before opening his eyes and looking around, knowing that something must be off. PM Arbi: The tired feeling lingers but doesn't seem to get worse. He has enough strength to stand up but running is out of the question. PM Omniance: Lucas: After a moment longer he stands, taking another slow breath. He adjusts the long sleeves of Nemo's dark blue shirt at the wrist, then blinks a few times, trying to shake off the feeling. He slowly walks out into the aisle, looking around for the priest or anyone else as he starts to move towards the exit. PM Arbi: The priest is standing behind the large white altar at the end of the church, he briefly looks over at Lucas as he sets things up for the next mass. He isn't sure how long Lucas has been here as he just arrived twenty minutes ago. PM Omniance: Lucas: He looks at him silently for a moment, then slowly makes his way to him. Do you have a phone I could use, Father? I just need to call for a ride. He stops about halfway up the aisle. The church is small and empty, so talking even normally is loud enough for them to hear each other. PM Arbi: A woman with long dark brown hair, who appears to be in her thirties, enters the main room as Lucas is asking the priest where the phone is. She looks like she helps around the church. Terra: You said you need the phone? This way, this way. She gently places her hand on his shoulder before walking off, she leads him to the back of the room towards a door to the side. PM Omniance: Lucas: He looks at her, then back to the priest for a moment before following after her. Thank you, miss. PM Arbi: Terra: She opens the door and holds it open for him, it leads into the church's kitchen. She walks in after him, motioning to the wired phone on the counter. There you are. She gives him a friendly smile before walking into another part of the kitchen. PM Omniance: Lucas: He looks back to her for a moment, then picks up the phone, pulling out his wallet, there's a small piece of paper with a few numbers on it. After a second he puts the phone to his ear and starts dialing the number. PM Arbi: Meanwhile... PM | Edited 6:53:29 PM Arbi: Yuri: He's on the couch in the living room listening to the radio, since they haven't got cable yet for their television. The signal starts getting staticky so he leans forward and tries turning the knob to see if he can find something a little more clear to listen to. PM Omniance: Coty: He walks over and sits down right next to Yuri. You'd think if Troy was as smart as he says he is, the radio wouldn't go out all the time. He puts his feet up on the small coffee table, crossing them as he leans back. ...Or he would steal us some free cable... PM Arbi: Yuri: He messes with them so he can talk to ghosts. He turns the knob slower. I think this is one of the normal ones... They can suddenly hear a clear station playing some music, it sounds good so he leans back on the couch to relax a bit. PM Omniance: Coty: He messes with them because he's a nerd. He lays back a little further and raises his arms, putting his hands behind his head. I could entertain you with something that would be a lot more interesting than anything you'd ever hear on the radio. PM Arbi: Yuri: He slowly looks to the side at him, quiet for a moment before saying. ...All those rumors you heard at school were just rumors. They were only half true, Lucas is gay. He looks forward again. I don't swing that way. PM Omniance: Coty: Like I haven't heard that before... He leans back father and looks up at the ceiling. PM Arbi: Yuri: He smiles a bit and looks at him. Is it really that hard to find a guy? PM Omniance: Coty: He keeps looking at the ceiling high above. I'm sure I could get one of those repressed lumberjacks down in town, some prom queen fresh out of high school, or a backwoods virgin... But it's not just about the sex, you know? He looks over at Yuri and smirks deviously. You can't fault me for wanting a Vera of my own, can you? PM Arbi: Yuri: This is because of your brother and Nemo, isn't it? You're jealous. He can't help but to smile. PM Omniance: Coty: He leans forward. Yeah? You my psychiatrist now? His smirk turns into a smile. Might have to get real physical if you keep talk'n like that. PM | Edited 7:42:59 PM Arbi: Yuri: ...You come on way too strong, man. Try to be a bit more subtle when you flirt... and then bring out the big guns when you know they like you. He hears the phone start ringing in the kitchen. He stands up and walks around the couch to head to the phone. But you've heard all that before too, haven't you? Coty can see him smile just before he heads into the kitchen. PM Omniance: Coty: He yells out as Yuri walks into the kitchen. You should know by now, all I've got is big guns! He flexes his arm, looking at the bicep for a moment. He'll come around. PM Arbi: Yuri: He picks up the phone, thinking it could either be Troy, Nemo or Lucas. Hello? PM Omniance: Lucas: Yuri... Hey... PM Arbi: Yuri: He looks towards the back door. Hey, bro. What's going on? PM Omniance: Lucas: I... He sounds a bit distant. ...Sorry... I just feel run down, I've been here all day... Do you have a car? Can anyone come pick me up? PM Arbi: Yuri: Troy didn't pick you up? PM Omniance: Lucas: I told him I'd call when I was ready to come back. He rubs the back of his neck a little. It's sore from hunching in church and praying all day. PM Arbi: Yuri: He went into town a few hours ago, probably to go see that girl from the festival. He lowers the phone and calls out to Coty. Coty, think we could go pick up Lucas from church? PM Omniance: Coty: He calls back. Already beggin favors to cover for your interest? PM Arbi: Yuri: He talks back into the phone. We'll be there in fifteen minutes... PM Omniance: Lucas: I'll wait outside the church... Seeya. He hangs up the phone. PM Arbi: Yuri: He hangs up too and walks back into the living room. PM Omniance: Coty: He's running up the stairs. Let me grab my keys real quick and we'll go. PM Arbi: About twelve minutes later, the two of them are back in town driving around, a little lost. Yuri: He's in the passenger seat looking out the window, checking out the stores and other buildings they pass since he still hasn't seen all of Cold Springs or memorized the layout. PM Omniance: Coty: Man... I don't know how my brother could live in some little shanty town like this for the rest of his life... He looks around as they drive passed a large high school. Tell me the truth, did Nemo put some kinda spell on him or are they really in that serious of a relationship? He looks out at the large football field. They've only known each other a few years, but Shane's already blown over half a million dollars for him... PM Arbi: Yuri: If he had a spell on him, wouldn't he act a little weird? He looks at him. Does he act weird? PM Omniance: Coty: ...Blowing half a million dollars on a run down mansion a million miles from everyone else isn't weird? He turns right, driving by a school bus parking lot and then passed a police station, stopping at the stop sign. PM Arbi: Yuri: He looks back outside the window. Nemo wanted me to live somewhere safe... and I guess Shane wanted to make Nemo happy. PM Omniance: Coty: He looks down the road, seeing the church in the distance. The things brothers do... As they get a little farther up the road he leans forward, looking for Lucas. PM Arbi: Yuri: He looks around the parking lot and then towards the front doors of the small church. PM Omniance: Coty: He narrows his eyes as they pass some small fishing restaurant. What the hell is he even going to do here? ...There's nothing here... PM Arbi: Yuri: He shrugs a little. Maybe we can go camping sometime. PM Omniance: Coty: They reach the church, and Coty drives around to the other side, passing the small cemetery. He slows down when he sees Lucas waiting on the corner. There he is, coulda mistaked him for Nemo if he didn't have black hair. PM Arbi: Yuri: He smiles a little when they pull up beside Lucas, his window open now. Hey, bro. PM Omniance: Lucas: He looks up at the giant truck, furrowing his brow, almost in annoyance. After a moment he walks up and reaches up, opening the door. There's only a front seat so Yuri will have to move to the middle. Thanks for picking me up. He climbs up, hanging off the side of the truck, waiting for Yuri to move. PM Arbi: Yuri: He gets up and moves to the middle of the front seat to give his brother some room. PM Omniance: Lucas: He sits down, putting his seatbelt on, then shuts the door. He goes quiet, looking out the window. Coty does a U-turn and heads back down the road to head back home. PM Omniance: A few hours later... Troy: He drives passed the large Draynor Manor. It looks old and run down, like it hasn't even been lived in for a year or more. As he turns around the road that circles the manor he sees a dirt road that leads into the woods and quickly turns down onto it, parking his van behind a few trees and a large bush. He gets out and walks around his van, opening the side of it. He steps in and pulls a few things out of a cabinet, along with a small metal lunch box. He closes the van doors and locks them, quickly making his way out onto the road. It's already pitch black out here, so he turns on a small flashlight as he crosses the road and starts walking along the road that surrounds the mansion, listening and looking for Ember and Jesse. PM Arbi: Jesse's guitar can be heard in the distance. It sounds like it's coming from the trees across from where Troy parked his car. When he heads into the woods, it only takes him about half a minute of walking before he finds the three of them around a campfire. Jesse: He stops playing his guitar when he hears Troy. Ember: She's sitting on a small tree stump while Jesse and Stacy Lee are sitting on an old cut down tree. Troy, future slayer of spiders. Welcome back. She smiles. PM Omniance: Troy: Anything happen while I was gone? He looks at the three of them. PM Arbi: Jesse: We were just discussing how we thought you'd deal with a big spider. He reaches down behind him and pulls out a machete. I'll be holding onto this. He holds it in front of him and slowly turns the blade, watching the fire's reflection off it's shiny surface. Stacy Lee: She looks a little scared by the sharp weapon, not having noticed it before. You guys really are gonna kill that thing, aren't you? PM Omniance: Troy: He smirks slightly. Well I thought I'd bring some things that would help regardless of who does it. He holds up his metal lunch box. The front of it clearly had a power rangers sticker on it, as even though most of it has been peeled away, parts of the words can still be seen. PM Arbi: Ember: She stands up and walks up to Troy, wondering what's in the lunch box. PM Omniance: Troy: He opens the box. It looks like a first aid kit. Bandages, gauze, ointments. He reaches in an grabs a small glass bottle. Epinephrine... He holds it up, the clear liquid shimmering a little in the firelight. He looks at Ember, then Jesse. Inject this and you'll run like an Olympian. He looks back to the bottle. Just in case. PM Arbi: Ember: Epinephrine? Where did you get this? Stacy Lee: She looks from the small glass bottle that Troy is holding back to Jesse as he puts his machete away. PM Omniance: Troy: A pharmacy down in L.A. He looks from the bottle to Ember. Like I said. It's just in case of an emergency. We're talking about a spider that's big enough to eat an entire full grown man's insides... That's terrifying stuff. He looks at Jesse. If it's actually a spider. PM Arbi: Ember: I didn't think you'd come so prepared... thanks, Troy. She smiles, happy to know he cares about them. PM Omniance: Troy: He looks at Stacy Lee. So are you from around here too? PM Arbi: Stacy Lee: She looks up at him. Uh-huh. I live down by Great Pines with my little sister and aunt. PM Omniance: Troy: Weird, had a feeling that you were from out of town too. He puts the adrenaline back and takes a seat. He looks through the lunch box. So I'm guessing something like this has never happened here before? He looks up at Ember. Weird murders, I mean. PM Arbi: Ember: She moves closer to Troy before suddenly placing her hand over his mouth, quieting shushing him. Jesse: He slowly stands up, listening as multiple cars drive down into Draynor drive and park in front of the mansion. Without saying anything he grabs his water bottle and puts out the small campfire. We have to go. PM Omniance: Troy: He mumbles through Ember's hand. What? He looks in the direction of the manor. PM Arbi: They can hear one of them talking, it sounds like an entire group of men from the footsteps. There van is still here. Ember: These guys don't sound like cops... She runs back to the tree trump and grabs her military backpack, quickly putting it on. One of the men stops in front of the trees and looks around, his voice sounds deep. They're hiding behind the trees. Spread out and find them! Ember: She backs away and starts running, whispering. Run! Jesse: He grabs his guitar and pulls the strap over his shoulder before quickly following Ember. Stacy Lee: She nervously whispers. What's going on? She watches Ember and Jesse run off and out of fear quickly follows them both deeper into the woods. PM Omniance: Troy: He narrows his eyes and runs off after them, holding onto the lunchbox tight. Confused by what's happening. PM Arbi: Ember: She keeps ahead of all them, leading them through the woods. It looks like there's trees in every direction, eventually they can't even see the manor over the trees anymore. The footsteps behind Troy can be heard closing in on him, it doesn't look like these men are messing around. PM | Edited 10:40:10 PM Omniance: Troy: As he runs he looks back for a second to see how close they're getting. Where the hell are we going!? PM | Edited 10:47:58 PM Arbi: A large burly man runs out behind some trees and grabs Ember's backpack, pulling her back as if she weighed nothing and wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. Ember: She squirms, kicking at him but his strength is too much for her to break free. Let me go! Jesse: Ember! He runs up to help her but stops when he hears a scream, he turns around to see another large man blocking off Stacy Lee and Troy from them. The man grabs Stacy Lee's hand before she can run for it. Troy and Jesse find themselves surrounded. PM Omniance: Troy: Who the hell are you people? He flicks on his flash light and raises it to look at them. PM Arbi: A large hand grabs onto Troy's arm and twists it backwards before he grabs the flashlight from him. Before Troy can fight back he pushes him into one of the other men, who grabs him in an iron grip. Jesse can be heard taking out his machete but one of them does the same thing to him, disarming him before he can use his weapon. The guy who took Troy's flashlight hands it to someone walking up behind them all, he takes it and shines it on each of them. Man: What do we have here? Two little piglets out in the woods, starting nothing but trouble. He goes quiet as he looks Ember over, some of men even start to laugh quietly as he stares at her. And two pretty little foxes... with their little tails tucked between their legs. Troy can see this man is taller than the rest and even has a big beard, though because of the darkness his face is hidden. Take them inside and tie them up, we're shipping them out tonight. He turns and starts walking away. Ember: Her eyes widen as they all start getting carried away back towards the manor.